Rating: 
Summary: The First and Greatest English Detective Novel?
Review: As many reviewers have noted, T.S. Eliot called `The Moonstone' "the first and greatest English detective novel." Is the novel worthy of such praise? We shall see... The story begins with a brief prologue describing how the famous yellow diamond was captured during a military campaign in India by a British officer in 1799. The action moves quickly to 1848 England, where, according to the British officer's will, the diamond has been given to one of the soldier's young relatives, Rachel Verinder. Yet only hours after the diamond arrives at the Verinder estate, it disappears. Was it stolen by a relative? A servant? And who are these three Indian men who keep hanging around the estate? `The Moonstone' is told from the point of view of several characters. The first portion of the tale is told by Gabriel Betteredge, house steward of the Verinder estate, who has been working for the family practically his entire life. Although over 200 pages, Betteredge's account holds the reader's interest as he introduces the main players and the crime itself. The next account, by distant Verinder relative Miss Clack, is humorous and somewhat important, but far too long (nearly 100 pages) for its relevance to the story. But after Miss Clack's account, things really take off at breakneck speed. Readers who latch onto the T.S. Eliot quote expecting a modern detective tale will be sorely disappointed. You aren't going to see anything resembling Jeffrey Deaver, James Patterson, Sue Grafton, or even Mary Higgins Clark. You also won't see Mickey Spillane, Dashiel Hammett, or Raymond Chandler. Nor will you see Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, or Martha Grimes. You won't even see Arthur Conan Doyle. But you WILL see the novel that influenced them all. You'll also see something else. Something that modern mystery/detective writers have for the most part lost. Characters. Oh sure, modern writers have characters, but for the most part, the reader only learns enough about the character to forward the plot. In our time, plot is King. When `The Moonstone' was published (1868), one of the novel's attractions was its characters. Collins has painted each of these characters so well that the reader feels that they know not only how they look, but their mannerisms, their movements, how they think, and their view of the world they live in. That type of character development is seriously lacking today, not from all writers, but from far too many. Of course, the down side is that Colllins also took over 500 pages to develop those characters. Is the book too long? For most modern readers, the answer is yes. I believe it all has to do with your expectation. Put modern mystery/detective stories out of your head. Then read `The Moonstone' as you would any other novel. Get lost in the atmosphere and the characters. Immerse yourself. Most of all, enjoy. Reading `The Moonstone' is like eating at a fine restaurant after months of fast food. When it's over, you just want to sit back in your favorite chair and say, "It's nice to know that the finer things are still available." Yes they are. Treat yourself to this gourmet book. 522 pages
Rating: 
Summary: Far Fetched
Review: Enjoyable read but overall I was disappointed because of the far fetched plot. Although this is a common flaw in mystery novels, I expected more from the Moonstone. By the fourth or fifth "coincidence" which served only to deepen and/or bolster an already convoluted storyline, I started to lose interest. Furthermore, people just don't act the way the characters do in the Moonstone. I won't go in to detail so as not to ruin it, but the motiviational forces behind the characters' actions aren't believable, and therefore weaken the story. By the time the book was finished, I was glad to move on to something else.
Rating:
Summary: Changing Views
Review: First off, I think I should let anyone reading this review know that I am a high school student. But I don't believe that this fact impacted the way that I felt about the book. I have always been a fan of mystery novels and this one was definately one of the best of its genre. The book follows a huge, yellow diamond stolen by a British officer from an Indian sultan's treasury. 50 years later, the officer leaves the gem to his neice, Rachel Verinder, upon his death. The gem is then stolen from Miss Verinder on the same night she receieves it. The story follows the search for the truth of the missing stone. But the best part about the novel is that it is told in first person narritive, by several individuals who played important roles in the story. Wilkie Collins does a masterful job at pulling off this writting technique by giving each of the narrators their own character, from which they portray the story as they perceived it to have happened. Each narrator provided deep insight into the other characters; some of whom are described from several different and sometimes intentionally conflicting perspectives. The trouble, for a reader, with trying to solve an average mystery novel is that you can be influenced by the narrator's views. Wilkie Collins allows the reader to see the events and characters through the eyes of different narrators, giving the reader many perspectives to look at and allowing the reader to decide for themselves what is really happening and who people really are. One of the complaints about Collins' novel is that he is at times long winded, but I found the story simply to be incredibly detailed, enjoyable, and beautifully written. Collins' also provides an accurate portrayal of the opinions of the Victorians during the imperialist age. Overall, I would reccomend this novel to anyone who enjoys a good mystery, especially one wiht a twist due to the unusual style of narration.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest Victorian Novels by Storytelling Master
Review: First published in 1868, Wilkie Collins' "The Moonstone" has been never out of print. This fact testifies the popularity of the book, but somehow because of the famous comment by TS Eliot, "The Moonstone" is likely to be regarded as 'detective fiction.' The fact is slightly different, and you have to keep that in mind before you read it. The story is absolutely the classic style of "Who-Done-It." The Moonstone, a sacred Hindo stone is stolen from India, and makes its way to the peaceful Yorkshire countryhouse where the rich daughter Rachel Verinder lives with her mother. On her birthday night, however, immediately after the stone is presented to the young lady, it vanishes without a trace. So, who stole it? Or is it just 'missing,' as the inimitable London detective Sgt. Cuff thinks? The story sounds like Agatha Christie (who, like Collins, wrote stories about the British middle-class), but if you are looking for some ingenious 'trick' or something, you will be disapponited. The story is written BEFORE Sherlock Holmes is born, and though the basic elements of detective stories can be found here, Collins does not use them as you might expect the later writers like Conan Doyle do. I cannot reveal much, but I can tell you that the whereabout of the stone is not necessarily the primary concern of the novel. The most strikingly original aspect of the novel is its characters. Remember, "The Moonstone" is primarily a Victorian novel, and Wilkie Collins is one of the best friends of Charles Dickens, who wrote "Great Expectations" which attacks the idea of 'gentleman.' The story is told by many characters themselves, and they unwittingly reveal the hidden side of their personalities in the narrative. The best case is the statement of Miss Clack, whose too religious attitudes conceal her surpressed curiosity (and perhaps love) for handsome philanthropist Godfrey Ablewhite. Clack's narrative, always amusing and in a sense grotesque, is one of the greatest among the 19th English novels. About the mystery of the novel ... well, there are lots of them in there, but they are rather about how and why these colorful characters did certain things or didn't. Rachel Verinder, independent and strong-willed (Collins loved this type of females), certainly knows something about the missing stone, but she never talks about it. The housemaid Rosanna Spearman knows something about the 'smear' of the paint (one of the crucial points of the story), but she never talks about it ... until the time you know the reason. The 'mystery' is about these people, rather than about the Moonstone. {ABOUT THE BROADVIEW EDITION by STEVE FARMER} Broadview's edition of "The Moonstone" comes in handy for academic use, so let me record the details of the book. It has Mr. Farmer's informative introduction that follows the modern critical readings of the book. Plus, you see the novel's contemporary reviews, and the play version of "The Moonstone" (which Collins himself made for the stage) and even the reviews of that play. You also get the excerpts of the letters concerning the novel and the play, and the brief newspaper accounts of the real-life cases of Constance Kent and Northumberland Street (both of which became part of the story). The long (and well-chosen) list of select bibliography is included. You may not find the same thrill as you have in Doyle or Christie, but "The Moonstone" is still a good example of great storytelling. Read it like you read Dickens, another great storyteller. "The Moonstone" is made a TV show starring Greg Wise in UK in the late 1990s. This version is also great, keeping the atmosphere of the original novel intact. Find the video and see it.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest Victorian Novels by Storytelling Master
Review: First published in 1868, Wilkie Collins' "The Moonstone" has been never out of print. This fact testifies the popularity of the book, but somehow because of the famous comment by TS Eliot, "The Moonstone" is likely to be regarded as 'detective fiction.' The fact is slightly different, and you have to keep that in mind before you read it. The story is absolutely the classic style of "Who-Done-It." The Moonstone, a sacred Hindo stone is stolen from India, and makes its way to the peaceful Yorkshire countryhouse where the rich daughter Rachel Verinder lives with her mother. On her birthday night, however, immediately after the stone is presented to the young lady, it vanishes without a trace. So, who stole it? Or is it just 'missing,' as the inimitable London detective Sgt. Cuff thinks? The story sounds like Agatha Christie (who, like Collins, wrote stories about the British middle-class), but if you are looking for some ingenious 'trick' or something, you will be disapponited. The story is written BEFORE Sherlock Holmes is born, and though the basic elements of detective stories can be found here, Collins does not use them as you might expect the later writers like Conan Doyle do. I cannot reveal much, but I can tell you that the whereabout of the stone is not necessarily the primary concern of the novel. The most strikingly original aspect of the novel is its characters. Remember, "The Moonstone" is primarily a Victorian novel, and Wilkie Collins is one of the best friends of Charles Dickens, who wrote "Great Expectations" which attacks the idea of 'gentleman.' The story is told by many characters themselves, and they unwittingly reveal the hidden side of their personalities in the narrative. The best case is the statement of Miss Clack, whose too religious attitudes conceal her surpressed curiosity (and perhaps love) for handsome philanthropist Godfrey Ablewhite. Clack's narrative, always amusing and in a sense grotesque, is one of the greatest among the 19th English novels. About the mystery of the novel ... well, there are lots of them in there, but they are rather about how and why these colorful characters did certain things or didn't. Rachel Verinder, independent and strong-willed (Collins loved this type of females), certainly knows something about the missing stone, but she never talks about it. The housemaid Rosanna Spearman knows something about the 'smear' of the paint (one of the crucial points of the story), but she never talks about it ... until the time you know the reason. The 'mystery' is about these people, rather than about the Moonstone. {ABOUT THE BROADVIEW EDITION by STEVE FARMER} Broadview's edition of "The Moonstone" comes in handy for academic use, so let me record the details of the book. It has Mr. Farmer's informative introduction that follows the modern critical readings of the book. Plus, you see the novel's contemporary reviews, and the play version of "The Moonstone" (which Collins himself made for the stage) and even the reviews of that play. You also get the excerpts of the letters concerning the novel and the play, and the brief newspaper accounts of the real-life cases of Constance Kent and Northumberland Street (both of which became part of the story). The long (and well-chosen) list of select bibliography is included. You may not find the same thrill as you have in Doyle or Christie, but "The Moonstone" is still a good example of great storytelling. Read it like you read Dickens, another great storyteller. "The Moonstone" is made a TV show starring Greg Wise in UK in the late 1990s. This version is also great, keeping the atmosphere of the original novel intact. Find the video and see it.
Rating:
Summary: Lost me at the end
Review: I enjoyed this book for about the first two-thirds and then it became remarkably tedious. For the last third I really just wanted it to be over. Some of the characters are fantastic and funny and interesting and some are just plain dull. I think "The Woman in White" is a much better book and would recommend it over this long-winded mystery.
Rating: 
Summary: Details, details, details!
Review: I'll give you a basic plot line:
This guy did it! nope, here's why. This guy couldn't have done it, here's why. This guy did it! nope, here's why. This guy did it! yup, here's why. But Wilkie Collins, (yeah, I never heard of him either), is able to turn this into a 473 page book by going down to the most minuscule aspect ... about everything. I suppose it is arguable that he does this because it is a detective novel, but the trivial details just litter the pages. Even when you do get past the first narrative, (which is mostly a jumble of character introductions), and into the main plot, the reader is almost overwhelmed with details. On another matter, Wilkie Collins is either terribly sexist, or he likes to give his Gabriel Betteredge that characteristic. Perhaps it is just the times, but our Sir Betteredge seems to "understand" women completely ... I hate to sound like a psychotic feminist, but comments such as, "But it is a maxim of mine that men (being superior creatures) are bound to improve women." This is just one of countless examples. I wonder what Wilkie's true opinion is. I suppose one can account for the dragging on as being a consequence of 19th century literature, and I suppose the characters are disputably vivid, but I am sad to say that, although I tried to keep an open mind, this book just didn't captivate me. Thirty pages in, I kept convincing myself that after all the characters were introduced, it would get better ... but alas, the interest hardly picked up; the reader and current narrator just change their suspicions from character to character. I read this because guilt would have taken me for putting a book down half finished.
Rating:
Summary: Wondeful!
Review: My all time favorite book. Read it for the first time when i was nine and enjoy it still. For mystery fan, this is a must! Don't miss it!
Rating:
Summary: the magnum opus of suspense and intrigue
Review: T.S. Eliot was not exaggerating when he dubbed Collins' masterpiece "the first, the longest, and the best of modern English detective novels". The Moonstone, first published in 1868, is the magnum opus of suspense and intrigue that will surely please the avid mystery and/or classics buff. The adventure begins when the priceless yellow diamond from India, known as the 'Moonstone', is brought to English as spoils of war and is bestowed upon the spirited Rachel Verrinder on her 18th birthday. Chaos soon commences. The valuable jewel is stolen that very night and the entire household falls under suspicion - including a hunchbacked maid, an assemblage of enigmatic Indian jugglers, and Miss Verrinder's cousin Mr. Franklin Blake. Suspicion of thievery does not even escape Miss Verrinder herself. The famed Sergeant Cuff is summoned to the house to try and make sense of the baffling mystery of the diamond's disappearance and the strange events that ensue. The Moonstone is comprised of three novelettes and a handful of sub-sections, each narrated by three individuals (and a handful of other characters writing shorter supporting memoirs), with their own whimsical writing styles and detailed anecdotes about their adventures surrounding the jewel's disappearance and the aftermath. Their varying perspectives on incidents throw interesting light on the events unraveling around the reader. Introducing the novel is the household's elderly and garrulous manservant, Mr. Gabriel Betteredge, with his witty maxims and proverbial quotes from his personal bible, "Robinson Crusoe". The pious and almost-fanatical Miss Clack's cold recital of events, is followed soon after by Mr. Franklin Blake's narrative of events, and the mystery's final and most ingenious outcome. It will not disappoint. I leave you with a bit of insight bestowed upon us by the lovable and amusing Mr. Betteredge: "When my spirits are bad -- Robinson Crusoe. When I want advice -- Robinson Crusoe. In past times when my wife plagued me; in present times when I have had a drop too much -- Robinson Crusoe. I have worn out six stout Robinson Crusoes with hard work in my service. On my lady's last birthday she gave me a seventh. I took a drop too much on the strength of it; and Robinson Crusoe put me right again. Price four shillings and sixpence, bound in blue, with a picture into the bargain. Still, this don't look much like starting the story of the Diamond -- does it? I seem to be wandering off in search of Lord knows what, Lord knows where. We will take a new sheet of paper, if you please, and begin over again, with my best respects to you."
Rating:
Summary: A True Mystery Novel
Review: The Moonstone is a wonderfully written English mystery novel of the mid 1800s. It tells the story of the path of a stolen Indian gemstone. The path begins from the day it was stolen from the forehead of a sacred statue of the god of the Moon guarded by three Brahmins (or Indian priests) to and from its journey Yorkshire. While in Yorkshire, the stone is eventually passed down to Miss Rachel Verinder on the day of her eighteenth birthday and within the same night, the precious Diamond is stolen. In several narratives, the theft of the Diamond is described. I believe that The Moonstone was a fascinating and well thought out mystery novel. Although I thought it was a little too lengthy near the end, this was only for the better. Collins uses eight different narratives to re-tell the story of the missing Diamond. The characters develop into believable and helpful elements of the story. The narratives allow Collins to achieve suspense, thrill, and mystery. In my opinion, he has successfully accomplished the true title of a classic mystery novel.
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